Kirklees councillors call for urgent action as people in Dewsbury, Batley and Spent struggle to get seen by a dentist

A joint motion has been put forward by Kirklees’ Lib Dems and Labour groups for debate at Wednesday’s (January 17) full council meeting arguing that the current NHS dental contact is not working and needs to be reformed.

A significant number of people in Kirklees are said to be struggling to find an NHS dentist for routine treatment. It is also pointed out that difficulties in accessing NHS dentistry in Kirklees may be contributing to the wider issue of health inequalities.

The motion states that access to NHS dental care is “enormously limited” and that people are being forced to travel miles, seek private treatment, or even perform “do-it-yourself dentistry”.

The current dental contract is described as “unworkable” and “not fit for purpose”. The numbers of dentists nationally is falling, and the system of funding is convoluted, meaning dental practices do not always get properly paid for the work they perform.

The Lib Dems say they have collaborated with Labour on the motion as the matter shouldn’t be a case of “political point scoring” but is instead a major issue that has implications for all residents across the borough.

One of the councillors who is leading on the motion, Coun Paola Davies (Almondbury, Lib Dems), said: “The cross-party health and social care committee, which scrutinises the work of the Department of Health and Social Care and examines Government policy, has concluded that the NHS dental contract is not fit-for-purpose and has pledged to hold an inquiry into the crisis in dental services.

“Unless radical and urgent action is taken and the contract is significantly reformed, I believe that NHS dentistry will not survive.

"We can all see that there is a problem. We need urgent intervention from the Government and Department of Health.

“They need to grasp the challenge of attracting new dentists to undertake NHS work and retain the ones we have.

“The joint council motion attempts to address this issue, which is affecting residents across Kirklees, many of whom are unable to access NHS dental services.

"It’s a national problem and it requires a national solution, so we are calling for the Government to take urgent action.”